Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-03-11
BBBCHBR IN BRATTLBBORO.
A CHARACTERISTIC BBECHER LET
TER,


rEREsTING LOCAL ALLusioN.
Mr.. Beecher in 1888, when, in Brattle-
boro, he Gave his First Public Address
Incidents of his Visit here in 1870.
From the Boston Herald
MIR. Edward Boak, who has always been
an admirer and friend of Mr.. Beecher, mum
bcrs among his letters the following char
acteristic and informal one never before
published In it the Plymouth pastor con
denses the working record Of his life, and
the pathos and prophecy Of the closing
words will be recognized by all
PEEKsKuL, N Y, Aug. IL, 1885,
NV Dear Mr.. Box, or Boo, or Book, or any
thing but Book Beer The account you
have kindly sent Of my first sermon" is
more nearly true than most stories that are
circulated Of me- My brother George wish
ed 10 be away Sunday, and | was request
ed by him to supply his pulpit Text, ser
mon and all attendant circumstances are
gone from my memory, except the green
ness-no doubt about that. My earliest re
membered address was given at Brattle-
boro. Vt, on temperance, when | was in
my junior year at Amherst college but my
earliest remembered sermons were deliver
ed at Northbrdge, Mass, where | taught
school for three months in 1881. ! con
Quoted conference meeting almost every
night and gave temperance address at
Upton. Mass, where "Old Father Wood"
was pastor, and in his church. In the
winter Of 1888 taught school in Hopkin-
ton, Mass, carrying ON revival meetings
every night and preaching on Sundays.
ha laip LODI
the effusions During the winter of 1888
again taught school at Northbridge and
made Il formal sermon in the chapel over
the new store built by the Messrs. Whitins.
Hence went to Lane seminary, near Gin
cinnati, aud preached in small places.
When, in 1887, | was ready to leave the
seminary, | went over to COvingtOn, Ky,
and preached in the Presbyterian church
for several Sundays, and expected to form
IA church there and remain but IA call wa,
made from Lawrenceburg, Ind, and wa.
soon settled there for two years and over
thence to indianapolis for eight years, and
in October, lS41, | came to Brooklyn.
have been preaching over 30 years. My
next and last call and settlement will prob
ably be in Greenwood. Cordially yours,
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
10 Edwdrd w. Bodk, Brookim.
The publication of the above letter CAV,
the cue for search in the files Of BrattlebOr,
papers for information about this first pub
lie oratorical effort of Mr.. Beecher. As
result despatch was sent 10 the associate,
press ON Wednesday indicating that thi
maiden effort must have been given il
Dummerston instead Of Brattlehoro Tn,
newspaper record which led u this conclu
sion was the following which appeared il
the Bratteboro Messenger Of Aug -. 1888
"wlNnHAM COUNTY TEMPERANCE SOCIETY
The adjourned meeting Of this society wa
held at Dummrrston ON the 18th inst An abb
and interesting address was delivered by Nj
B,echer of Amherst college The following res,
tuition was offered and after some discussion
adopted Resolved, That it b- recommended {
thu societies in tn. several towns iu the county
hold MEETINGS previous to the next session IT III
Legislature 10 discuss the subject NJ pctituuin
that body for the r-pral Of the law and uuthorii
for the sale of ardent spirits 80 that i; may her
after be- abolished, and whenever 1t is deemed e.
f--dient such petition should In. circulated +,
signatures ami FORWARDED t. the Assembly Vot,
that the thanks ~ the society h. given to NJ
I,--'hcr. and that Mr Becky b- a committee
Voted Ia adjourn this meeting to the 18th u -.
t-mb-r next at Brattlel,oro East village
WILLARD FRnsT. Secretary &c
Further search, however, with informt
! tion printed in The Phunix in April. 1874
rs guide shows that the occasion her
alluded 10 was that Of Mr. Beecher's Sc
ond appearance in this vicinity. and tn
his first public address was given in Bra
!, tleboru rs Mr. Beecher states. The da
was July 18th Of the same summer (lS3
/ and the occasion was "A Fourth of July tel
i pcrance celebration. This is the reco
/. which the Messenger makes of the occu
renee iii its issue Of July IL, for in tho
days of easy-golng journalism it was n
thought necessary 10 mention the celebr
ton in the issue of the 9TH the next aft
: the celebration occurred
The Fourth Of July passed ofT with the citiLe
Of our village IN manner at once Pheasant a
profitable. The day was uncommonly fine, a
all classes seemed to hail with much satsfActi
tue return " our national anniversary. At
= O'Clock a meeting Of the temperance society to
i place at the Rev Mr. McOee's meeting .hou
I where an address was delivered by MIR Berchrr
4 member Of Amherst college. The address "
E we'll conceived and delivered in a style at OF
II the sentiments Of every person present when
e say that it was highly crcditablt to the orator
4 TO the cause which he advocated As the friei
n of temperance We tender him thanks for what
# has already done and our hearty good wishes Il
, DE may labor long and successfully in field
- worthy Of his efforts "
Records printed later ON show that y
Beccher was procured to come here 10y I
n Young Mems Rhetorical society of Bratt
e, boro, through Mr.. John c. Holbrook, "
gave an address the same day on 'the G
:, gin and progress of Sabbath schools" I
At day must have been in its way a notu
X one for Brattleboro, for the celebration v
u triple one, consisting of the temperaI
y meeting and MIR Beecher's address in
- morning, procession which formed
AS noon and marched to the Unitarian me
ne ing house where Samuel Elliot, ESD.
IN livered an independence Day Grafton, d
or the afternoon Sabbath school meeting
~ Mr.. McGees meeting house (the old no
he on the common) where Mr.. Holbrook spo
Ga The procession was formed ''Rt Col Cha
h. hotel under the direction of Coils Mi
no. and Fessenden," and was escorted
no Capt. Kings company Of Infantry on
ey march to the Unitarian church The NJ
ar senger's report says that 'the festive bo
M was spread in the best style of our hosp
ble landlord Col, Chase, and that eve
u, thing pertaining thereto went off with
!. larity and good humor, aud at the sa
ell time with perfect order
49,. That Mr.. Beecher was well received
,r this occasion, and that his budding gen
,Lt must then have been recognized is attes
nd by the fact that within six weeks of
,ot time he was procured 10y the Rev. Mr.. BE
M ley to lecture before the temperance soc
~ at Dummerston.
cd On the occasion of his Fourth of July
he dress Mr.. Beecher walked up from Amin
ON and walked back 80 as tu save the Who'll
No. the $40 which WIS paid him tp buy bc
-. with.
vJ Mr.. Henry Burnhan is confident that
or. Bcecher spoke in Brattleboro in 1896 in
law lecture course given that year hy dis
,yn guished speakers in the Unitarian chur
mt but We do not find mention of his app
m amcc made in The Phoenix files of that Y
,rk MIR. Beecher was engaged 10y II. G.
,os lard to open the lecture course of 1894
nj hut the great trial was then in progress
he he could not come On the 18th of the
md lowing April however, he did appear
spoke before large audience ON The
al Aspects of Education He was in
duced TO the audience by Hon. r. W. Cha
mt and prefaced his lecture with allusiol
or his first appearance here and said that
big cause of having been the scene of that
, Is ly attempt the place was linked in his Il
mr. with pleasant associations"
nts On account of family relationship
,ol- heeTher was entertained ON tins occa
ain ny Mr. ana MRS Weils = Frost
Drn iio'I SVeP-hiouheF ana MI beecher